Elongate housing having outstanding protrusions for tiltable conductive fluid type ignition safety switch

ABSTRACT

An ignition safety switch for a vehicle to automatically open the ignition circuit upon a predetermined tilting or inclination of the vehicle, including an elongate hollow body having a pair of laterally outstanding hollow protrusions and an upstanding hollow protrusion, a pair of electrical conductors or electrodes extending from exteriorly of the body through the wall thereof and terminating in spaced proximity generally centrally between the several protrusions, and a conductive liquid in the hollow of the body and its protrusions serving to contact and close a circuit between the electrodes when the vehicle is generally horizontal and open the circuit when the vehicle is disposed at a predetermined inclination.

United States Patent [191 Avenick ELONGATE HOUSING HAVING OUTSTANDING PROTRUSIONS FOR TILTABLE CONDUCTIVE FLUID TYPE IGNITION SAFETY SWITCH [76] Inventor: Joseph F. Avenick, 2402 Hartford Drive. Glendora, NJ, 08029 [22] Filed: June 23, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 265,447

[52] US. Cl ZOO/61.47, 200/220, 200/221 [51] Int. Cl. H01h 29/20, H0lh 35/02 [58] Field of Search ZOO/61.47, 182, 187, ZOO/188,190, 199, 214, 215, 216, 220, 221,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1971 Hughes ZOO/61.47 X

1,861,800 6/1932 .lanischml.

1,880,829 10/1932 Cramblet 200/221 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 803,479 7/1936 France ZOO/61.47

[ 1 July 3,1973

12/1938 Switzerland ..200/61.47 11/1926 France 200/228 Primary Examiner.l. R. Scott Attorney-Robert K. Youtie 57] ABSTRACT An ignition safety switch for a vehicle to automatically open the ignition circuit upon a predetermined tilting or inclination of the vehicle, including an elongate hollow body having a pair of laterally outstanding hollow protrusions and an upstanding hollow protrusion, a pair of electrical conductors or electrodes extending from exteriorly of the body through the wall thereof and terminating in spaced proximity generally centrally between the several protrusions, and a conductive liquid in the hollow of the body and its protrusions serving to contact and close a circuit between the electrodes when the vehicle is generally horizontal and open the circuit when the vehicle is disposed at a predetermined inclination.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ELONGATE HOUSING HAVING OUTSTANDING PROTRUSIONS FOR TILTABLE CONDUCTIVE FLUID TYPE IGNITION SAFETY SWITCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The hazard of motor vehicles, such as automobiles, boats, and the like, having their engines remaining operative when the vehicle is at a dangerous angle of inclination is well known to those in the art. There have, in the past, been proposed a wide variety of safety switches for disabling the ignition of an internal combustion engine when the latter assumes a dangerous angle to the horizontal. However, these prior proposed devices have not found wide acceptance, being primarily unduly complex in construction, expensive to manufacture and install, readily subject to malfunction and misadjustment, and otherwise undesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a safety switch for the ignition system of a motor vehicle for stopping injurious operation when the vehicle assumes a dangerous angle of inclination, which overcomes the above-mentioned difiiculties, is extremely simple to manufacture and install, foolproof in operation, requiring no adjustment or maintenance, and which is relatively inexpensive for use either as original equipment or for installation on existing equipment. I

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly diagrammatic, illustrating an ignition safety switch of the present invention in operative association with the electrical ignition circuitry of an internal combustion engine, the latter being shown in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the instant safety switch, taken generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1, enlarged for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the switch of the instant invention.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIG. I through the instant switch in a normal operative condition.

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG.

5 illustrating the switch operation in an emergency or I cut-off condition of lateral tilt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT switch 12 may be connected by a conductor 13 to one side of the battery 11. Of course, it is appreciated that the diagram of FIG. 1 is schematic and simplified for clarity, certain parts being omitted, such as the starter motor switch which may be connected in conductor 13.

From the other side of the battery 11 may be connected a conductor 14 which is connected to a coil 15. The safety switch of the present invention is generally designated 20, and may be connected as by a conductor 21 to the other side of the coil 15, and by a conductor 22 to the other side of key switch 12. Thus, upon opening of the safety switch 20, the circuit to coil 15 is opened, just as it would be opened by opening of the key switch 12. This will, of course, stop the engine 10 from operating.

Considering the safety switch 20 now in greater detail, as by observation of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will there by seen that the safety switch includes a body generally designated 25 which may advantageously be integrally fabricated of suitable nonconductive material, such as glass, but may also be fabricated of other material, if desired. The body 25 is of an elongated overall configuration including a pair of generally tubular end portions 26 disposed in substantial end-to-end alignment with each other. The body 25 is formed on opposite sides thereof spaced between the end portions 26 with a pair of laterally outwardly projecting hollow protrusions 27. The hollow bulges or lateral protrusions 27 are generally arcuate or semicircular and combine to define a generally oblate spherical or disc-shaped configuration. While the nether or bottom wall 28 of the switch body 25 may be generally flat, the upper body side is formed, at a location spaced betweenthe body ends 26, with a hollow upwardly extending projection or upstanding protrusion 29. The upstanding protrusion 29 may be somewhat bulbous, as seen in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, and opens or communicates downwardly into the interior body region between the laterally outstanding protrusions 27.

The body 25, including its outstanding and upstanding protrusions 27 and 29, may all be integrally fabricated, say of glass, or other suitably nonconductive material. Extending inwardly through each end 30 of the body 25 may be an elongate conductor, wire or electrode, as at 31. The electrodes 31 thus extend through the end walls 30 of the body 25 from exteriorly of the body to the interior or body hollow 32. As best seen in FIGS. 2-4, the electrodes 31 are disposed in longitudinal relation with respect to the elongate body 25, and in substantially end-to-end spaced aligned relation with respect to each other. Thus, the electrodes 31 terminate at their inner ends 33 in adjacent, spaced relation with respect to each other, and are located centrally of and within the interior space or hollow 32 of the body 25. That is, the body interior 32 may be considered as a hermetically sealed chamber composed of the interior hollows of the tubular body end portions 26, the medial body portion between end portions-26, theinterior hollows of outstanding protrusions 27, and the interior hollow of upstanding protrusion 29, all of which spaces are in fluid communication with each other. More specifically, the longitudinally aligned electrodes 31 are each disposed in spaced relation within a respective tubular end portion 26 of body 25 and terminate medially therebetween. The electrode end portions 33 are further disposed medially between the outstanding hollow protrusions 27, and directly beneath the up- .wet or contact both electrodes 31 when the body is disposed generally horizontally. More specifically, the liquid 35 is of a sufficient level to contact both electrodes 3] simultaneously when the body 25 is within about 30 of being horizontal. At such angle of inclination, or

other desired angle of inclination, contact of the liquid 35 with both electrodes 31 is lost, and the switch opens. Such a condition is shown in FIG. 6, wherein it will be observed that the body is laterally tilted approximately the liquid being gravitationally displaced to substantially fully occupy one lateral protrusion 27 so that the level of the liquid is below the electrodes 31. In this illustration the liquid loses contact with both electrodes. However, should the body 25 be inclined longitudinally, the liquid would lose contact with only a single electrode. In either event the switch 20 is opened and the electrical circuit disabled.

The angle of inclination shown in FIG. 6 may be considered as similar to that approached by a vehicle running off a road into a ditch. However, upon partial or complete overturning of a vehicle, some or all of the liquid 35 will be displaced by gravity into the upstand ing hollow protrusion 29. In this manner, the liquid is effectively removed from the electrodes so that accidental return of the liquid into contact with the electrodes is extremely remote. From the foregoing it is seen that the present invention provides an ignition safety switch which is extremely simple in construction and operation, capable of economic incorporation as original equipment in a wide variety of motor vehicles, as well as simple and easy attachment as an accessory to existing vehicles, say by mounting of the switch 20 in a suitably protected location forward of the fire wall of an automotive vehicle, as on a fender wall, if desired.

While the body 25 may be integrally fabricated of glass, to define a hermetically sealed envelope encompassing chamber 32, and while the electrodes 31 may advantageously be fabricated of tungsten, other suitable materials and modes of manufacture may be employed, as desired.

. Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An ignition safety switch for a vehicle, said switch comprisng an elongate hollow body, a pair of electrodes carried by said body each extending from the exterior of said body at respective opposite ends interiorly thereof and having terminal protions in adjacent spaced relation with respect to each other medially within said body, said body having a pair of medial opposite side portions adjacent to said terminal electrode portions projecting laterally outwardly to form interior hollow outstanding protrusions, the interior hollows of said outstanding protrusions facing toward said terminal electrode portions, said body having its upper side in the region of said terminal electrode portions projecting upwardly to form a hollow upstanding protrusion, the interior hollow of said upstanding protrusion facing generally downwardly toward said terminal electrode portions, said body with its outstanding and upstanding protrusions defining interiorly thereof a hermetically sealed chamber, and a quantity of conductive liquid in said chamber having a level sufficient to contact both said electrodes only when said body is generally horizontal, said liquid fiowing into said protrusions when said body is tilted substantially from its horizontal disposition to open the switch.

2. An ignition safety switch according to claim 1, said electrodes each extending generally longitudinally inwardly through a respecive end of said body in general alignment with each other spaced within said body.

3. An ignition safety switch according to claim 2, said terminal electrode portions being located generally centrally between said pair of outstanding protrusions, for switch opening action upon lateral tilting in either direction.

4. An ignition safety switch according to claim 2, said upstanding protrusion being located directly over and facing downwardly toward said terminal electrode portions for switch opening action upon vehicle inversion.

5. An ignition safety switch according to claim 1, said body and its outstanding and upstanding protrusions being integral.

6. An ignition safety switch according to claim 5, said integral body and outstanding and upstanding protrusions being fabricated of glass. 

1. An ignition safety switch for a vehicle, said switch comprisng an elongate hollow body, a pair of electrodes carried by said body each extending from the exterior of said body at respective opposite ends interiorly thereof and having terminal protions in adjacent spaced relation with respect to each other medially within said body, said body having a pair of medial opposite side portions adjacent to said terminal electrode portions projecting laterally outwardly to form interior hollow outstanding protrusions, the interior hollows of said outstanding protrusions facing toward said terminal electrode portions, said body having its upper side in the region of said terminal electrode portions projecting upwardly to form a hollow upstanding protrusion, the interior hollow of said upstanding protrusion facing generally downwardly toward said terminal electrode portions, said body with its outstanding and upstanding protrusions defining interiorly thereof a hermetically sealed chamber, and a quantity of conductive liquid in said chamber having a level sufficient to contact both said electrodes only when said body is generally horizontal, said liquid flowing into said protrusions when said body is tilted substantially from its horizontal disposition to open the swiTch.
 2. An ignition safety switch according to claim 1, said electrodes each extending generally longitudinally inwardly through a respecive end of said body in general alignment with each other spaced within said body.
 3. An ignition safety switch according to claim 2, said terminal electrode portions being located generally centrally between said pair of outstanding protrusions, for switch opening action upon lateral tilting in either direction.
 4. An ignition safety switch according to claim 2, said upstanding protrusion being located directly over and facing downwardly toward said terminal electrode portions for switch opening action upon vehicle inversion.
 5. An ignition safety switch according to claim 1, said body and its outstanding and upstanding protrusions being integral.
 6. An ignition safety switch according to claim 5, said integral body and outstanding and upstanding protrusions being fabricated of glass. 